Description
A comforting and creamy Butternut Squash Soup made with sautéed onions, carrots, garlic, and fresh herbs, simmered until tender and blended smooth. Perfect for warming up on chilly days and easily customizable with cream or coconut cream toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauté Base
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
Soup
- 1 large (about 3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
- 1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary leaves (from about 2 sprigs), plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper
Optional Garnish
- Heavy cream, crème fraîche, or coconut cream, for drizzling
Instructions
- Sauté the Vegetables: Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced large yellow onion, peeled and diced medium carrots, and crushed garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned in spots, about 8 minutes.
- Add Squash and Broth: Stir in the chopped butternut squash, low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, finely chopped fresh sage leaves, smoked paprika, and kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer the Soup: Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook until the squash is tender and beginning to fall apart, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Blend until Smooth: Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot, or transfer in batches to a stand blender and puree until creamy and smooth.
- Season and Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Serve the soup drizzled with heavy cream, crème fraîche, or coconut cream if desired, and garnish with more chopped fresh sage leaves and black pepper.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- For a dairy-free option, use olive oil instead of butter and coconut cream for topping.
- Fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary can be substituted based on preference.
- To make the soup spicier, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili flakes when adding the paprika.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
